Going to the Local Court
You may need to go to the Local Court if:
- you are trying to recover your goods and the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) tells you they can’t hear your matter because it does not fall under the Uncollected Goods Act 1995
- your matter can't be heard in NCAT because of a federal jurisdiction issue.
Before starting a case in the Local Court, it’s important that you first try to resolve your dispute through negotiation and mediation. For more information, see
Resolving your dispute.
If you are unable to resolve your dispute, you should think about whether it is worth going to court as you may not get the outcome you want.
The time limit to make a claim in the Local Court is six years from the date the money was owed, when a last repayment was made, or when it was last acknowledged in writing.
If you are not sure if you should apply to the Local Court, get legal advice.
Step by step guide: Starting a case for recovery of goods in the Local Court
If your matter can’t be heard in NCAT because of a federal jurisdiction issue, see Federal jurisdiction on the NCAT website.